A modified Nissan LEAF is set to enter the 2017 Mongol Rally. Piloted by Electric Vehicle enthusiasts ‘Plug In Adventures’ the LEAF will be the first all-electric car to drive the 10,000 miles from Goodwood to Mongolia. Slimmer wheels with narrow tyres have been fitted and the rear seats taken out, while extra plates have been welded underneath to protect against rough terrain. Charging will be a challenge as the team heads further east, however the LEAF will accept a 240v ‘Commando connection’ even in the most remote areas. The Mongol Rally gets underway on the 16 July.
Nissan engineers have created a new prototype of the all-electric LEAF - with a whopping 75 percent increase in driving range. Removing the rear seats, they were able to shoehorn a 48 kWh battery in the back, double the size of the production car’s standard unit. The prototype was built to compete in a new ECOseries motorsport event, which rewards efficiency and fuel economy rather than outright speed.. and it seems the extra hours put in by the team duly paid off as they took first place.
Nissan has applied special glow-in-the-dark paint to an all-electric LEAF. The spray-applied coating – which absorbs UV energy during the day so that it glows for up 10 hours when the sun goes down – was invented by Hamish Scott, creator of the STARPATH glow-in-the-dark pathway. Using a secret formula made up of entirely organic materials, Nissan says the LEAF's unique paint-job would last for 25 years if made commercially available.
